Feschuk: Timely swish and a milestone for Bosh

¹²³ · Mar 18, 2010

In the moments after Chris Bosh became the first Raptor to score 10,000 NBA points on Wednesday night, the Toronto all-star was feted with an impromptu standing ovation from the announced crowd of 18,441.

Alert observers noted that Bosh, stone-faced, didn't so much as acknowledge the appreciative throng.

He didn't raise a hand in return of the love.

He didn't offer a knowing nod.

And wasn't that as good as waving goodbye?

No, no, no. Nobody's saying Bosh has made his decision to leave Toronto when he has the option to become a free agent in July, although there have been plenty of observers, both inside the team and around the league, who have noted his post-all-star-break swoon and wondered if it indicates the intention of an impending departure.

Damn those speculators, indeed. Wednesday night, depending on how you looked at it, offered a counterpoint to the latest in attempted fortune telling. Bosh, after flat-footing it through a subpar shooting night, nailed the winning shot in a 106-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. The timely swish – along with a missed 22-footer at the buzzer by Atlanta's Jamal Crawford – broke Toronto's five-game losing skid just as it sent a roller-coaster Raptors season back on the ascent, at least momentarily.

And it gave Bosh, who helped his team to a win for the first time in five weeks, a chance to say his piece about his performance since the all-star break.

Since he rubbed shoulders with his fellow members of the NBA elite in Dallas in mid-February, he has averaged about 21 points and nine rebounds on 47 per cent shooting in seven games, six of them losses. Before the break he was averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds on 53 per cent work. Why the drop-off?

"My numbers since the all-star break, it doesn't matter. I haven't played many games since the all-star break. My only focus is trying to win basketball games. And that's really it," said Bosh. "If my mind was elsewhere, I don't think we would have won (Wednesday's) game."

Fair enough. But a couple of days after Bosh argued that his team's win-loss record isn't a reflection of his performance, perhaps Wednesday's victory wasn't, either. In a game in which the Raptors were often the aggressor – getting to the free-throw line 30 times while outscoring the Hawks the paint 58-46 – Bosh was noticeably passive.

His rare forays into the paint amounted to fallaway runners, almost all of which missed. He went to the charity stripe only twice, this when he's been averaging 8.6 attempts a game this season. He clanked 13 of his 19 field-goal attempts.

He finished with all of 14 points and 10 rebounds, as decent proof as you'll find that Charles Barkley was correct when he dubbed the double-double a bogus statistic. And if you're prepared to make the argument that he played hard – this in a game in which his team, losers of nine of their previous 10, were positively desperate for a win – you'll also have to do some heavy doctoring of the game tape.

"He depended on us throughout most of the game. We depended on him with the last shot," said DeMar DeRozan, the rookie swingman who led the hard-driving procession to the rim. "I think it paid off."

All is not lost in Raptorland, of course, where a mere berth in the playoffs will be spun as a compelling victory. The Chicago Bulls, currently in ninth place while the Raptors occupy eighth spot in the East, don't look like a team winding itself up for a rally.

And there were plenty of encouraging signs from Toronto's hoopsters in Wednesday's win, among them Amir Johnson's well-timed activity on the glass (which included a deflection that turned a Hedo Turkoglu missed three throw with 15.7 seconds left and the Raptors down 105-104 into the possession that produced Bosh's game sealer).

But if you were awake, and you watched almost everything up until the final throes, you had to wonder about the timing when the PA announcer promoted the latest sale at the in-house merchandise store: Bosh jerseys are currently going out the door at a discount. The cut rate, officially, was "in celebration" of Bosh's milestone. Or maybe it was an educated bit of inventory control. Only about four months of speculation left to go.
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speeds · Mar 18, 2010

Ugh... Feschuk.

Master Shake · Mar 18, 2010

We all know if Bosh leaves BC is going to make a big move, so this is going to be one interesting off-season to say the least.

deception · Mar 18, 2010

Master Shake said: ↑

We all know if Bosh leaves BC is going to make a big move, so this is going to be one interesting off-season to say the least.
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big move with what?

Master Shake · Mar 18, 2010

With our so called number 1 pick and 2-3 SG's and Spaniard.

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Feschuk: Timely swish and a milestone for Bosh

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Feschuk: Timely swish and a milestone for Bosh

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¹²³ ¼½¾

speeds $2.50 highball, $1.50 beer Staff Member Administrator GFX Team

Master Shake young phoenix

deception JBB Banned Member

Master Shake young phoenix

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